Aspen: The Wine Spot

My recent visit to Aspen was remarkable for being my least social excursion out there to date. The co-workers who usually accompany me there did not go this year and my suddenly sensitive stomach left me a little cranky and not in much of a mood for the crowds that end up in town for X Games.
The Wine Spot was my savior. If not for this place and Seth, its proprietor, I’d have found myself sitting in my room alone every night watching netflix instant or whatever crap was on TV.
Situated in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Aspen, a ‘residence,’ which I think is just fancy-talk for ‘time-share,’ this place is just off the beaten path. It’s right across from Rubey Park, the main bus stop for the whole town, right down the block from the bars, clubs and restaurants in the middle of town. Yet, it’s not actually in the middle of anything, so most of the people who actually show up here are those who are staying there.
It was the perfect place to go to escape the crowds. I must have stopped in there 4 or 5 times and there were never more than 10 people in, even on Saturday night when packs of teens and twentysomethings roamed the streets looking for a party.
The first night I came in, Seth greeted me and reintroduced himself, remembering me from last year. It’s an interesting thing because I’ve unintentionally become a regular in a place where people often only come in for a week or two a year. After being reacquainted, he went on to help me find some of the wine on the menu that I’d enjoy.
I also partook in the one food item they serve, a cheese and meat plate:
Both the food and drink were great, but what kept me coming back was the warmth and familiarity of the hearth, the leather couches and the service.